Category: Educational Museums

New York Aquarium 602 Surf Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11224

New York Aquarium

602 Surf Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11224

(718) 265-3474

http://www.nyaquarium.com

https://nyaquarium.com/

Open: Sunday & Saturday 10:00am-5:30pm/Monday-Friday 10:00am-5:00pm

Fee: Adults $25.00/Children $20.00/Seniors $27.00 (see their website for more details on pricing and times)

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60827-d107414-Reviews-New_York_Aquarium-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

The New York Aquarium at 602 Surf Avenue.

The aquarium entrance at the boardwalk.

The aquarium’s outside tanks with sea lions, otters and penguins.

The penguins were very entertaining that afternoon.

The otter just ignored us. They just played amongst themselves.

I have been to the NY Aquarium many times since it reopened after Hurricane Sandy and there have been many positive improvements in both the facility and the service. The new Ocean Wonders: Shark! exhibition which has opened up giving an interesting look at the underwater world of the many different types of sharks that dominate the deep.

The Shark Exhibit

The Shark exhibition

The sharks and string rays

It is not just a display but also a commentary on the conditions of the deep and the treatment of sharks around the world. There contributions as bottom dwellers cleans our oceans and benefits other fish. It was shocking what the treatment is of these animals in Asia when strip these animals of their fins for soup. I like how professionally the aquarium shows this in their displays and videos and doesn’t preach but offer solutions to the problem.

The entrance to the new shark tanks.

That and walking through the tanks themselves in the darkened rooms with music makes for a fascinating and almost ominous trip into the ocean behind the walls with the sharks and other mammals and fish swim past you. There is also a small tunnel that you can climb under to watch the fish swim on top of you and past you.

The tropical fish exhibition

In the Conservation Hall, you will learn all about the fish that dominate and keep our reefs vibrant and what happens when pollution takes over and kills them. Again the aquarium displays this in a positive way, shows how the animals keep the reefs healthy. I point out that there are a lot of colorful fish on display and it is fun to watch the small children yell out to them.

The coral reef exhibition

The Coral Reef Exhibition

The fish in the Coral tanks

There is a wonderful seal show during the day that you should not miss especially in the warmer months when you can sit in the stands and watch them perform with their trainers. They are more Native New Yorkers than most humans having been born at the aquarium and showing their own pride in their home and abilities.

The Sea lion show at the aquarium is very popular.

The Sea lion show

The Sea lion show

The new “Spineless” exhibition shows all the jelly fish and related species.

The “Spineless” exhibition

The beautiful jelly fish at the aquarium.

The “Spineless” exhibition

The different creatures of the deep.

The Jellyfish tank

The Jellyfish are amazing to look at in the tank

There were all sorts of tanks displaying many different types of tropical fish and corals that are exotic and very much endangered. We are beginning to destroy their habitants.

The fish habitats

As part of the new building there are also several new eating establishments at the aquarium including the new Oceanside Grill that I have not visited yet (it was closed on my last visit) as well as The New York Bite food truck (which was also not opened). The most impressive restaurant is the Oceanview Bites on the second floor of the Ocean Wonders building. This beautiful new restaurant has an interesting but somewhat routine menu with prices usual to an aquarium but offer the most spectacular views of the ocean and of Coney Island. Do not miss just walking up to the restaurant in the circular pathway for the views alone.

The NY Aquarium is a treat in of itself and a great excuse to visit Coney Island. Don’t miss the rest of the island’s amusements and museums while you are there.

The NY Aquarium

History of the New York Aquarium:

(this information is provided by a combination of the NY Aquarium and Wiki and I give them full credit for the information)

The New York Aquarium is the oldest continually operating aquarium in the United States, having opened in Castle Garden in Battery Park in Manhattan in 1896. Since 1957, it has been located on the Reigelmann Boardwalk in Coney Island. The aquarium is operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) as part of its integrated system of four zoos and one aquarium, most notably the Bronx Zoo. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

The sea lion tanks

As part of the WCS, the aquarium’s mission is to save wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education and inspiring people to value nature.

The facility occupies 14 acres and boasts 266 species of aquatic wildlife. Its mission is to raise public awareness about issues facing the ocean and its inhabitants with special exhibitions, public events and research. The New York Seascape program, based out of the aquarium, is WCS’s local conservation program designed to restore healthy populations of marine species and protect New York waters, which are vital to the area’s economic and cultural vitality.

The penguin tank

The Penguin exhibition on the outside

On June 6, 1957, the Aquarium opened at its new location in Coney Island. The new site of the New York Aquarium is the home of the WCS New York Seascape program, the society’s research and conservation program focusing on nearby rivers, harbor and ocean from Cape May, NJ to Montauk, Long Island.

The new “Shark” exhibition tunnel

The Shark Tank

The aquarium kept an orca briefly in 1968 and a narwhal in 1969. Both reportedly died of possible pneumonia. The aquarium’s beluga whales were transferred to the Georgia Aquarium in 2007 as part of a breeding program. In September 2011, the aquarium named its new electric eel Wattson and in March 2012, it launched a sea horse breeding program.

In October 2006, the New York Aquarium announced the finalists to a competition to develop a more inviting and visually prominent exterior for the aquarium. In March 2007, the winning design by firms WRT and Cloud 9 was selected, which featured an enclosure resembling a whale over the aquarium. However, in March 2008 that concept was scrapped due to concerns over a new exhibit based on sharks was announced. The massive 784,000 US gallon exhibition, Ocean Wonders: Sharks! was originally scheduled to break ground in November 2012 and open in 2015.

A penguin ready to take a dive.

However, the New York Aquarium was significantly damaged by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, which severely flooded the facility and shut down power. A small group of WCS staff who remained onsite during the hurricane were able to save 90% of the animals in the collection. As a result, the exhibition opened June 30, 2018, becoming the first major exhibition at the New York Aquarium to open after Hurricane Sandy.

The Shark tank’s fish display

Disclaimer: this history of the NY Aquarium is taken from Wiki and I give them full credit for this information.

The Sculptures in the NY Aquarium in 2024:

These sculptures were at NY Aquarium by Washed Ashore

The sign for Leo the Jellyfish

The Leo the Jellyfish sculpture

The Angus the Longhorn Cowfish sculpture sign

The Angus the Longhorn Cowfish sculpture

The Nora the Salmon sculpture sign

The Nora the Salmon sculpture

The Maggie and Charlotte Adele Penguins

The Maggie and Charlotte Adele Penguins sculpture

The Chompers the Tiger Shark

The Chompers the Tiger Shark sculptures

The Penguin sculpture

The artworks were all made of items that were thrown in the ocean and plastics that are thrown in the ocean. Washed Ashore created these works to show what is thrown in ocean and how it affects the wildlife in the oceans.

Washington Irving’s Sunnyside 3 West Sunnyside Lane Irvington, NY 10533

Washington Irving’s Sunnyside

3 West Sunnyside Lane

Irvington, NY 10533

(914) 591-8763

Washington Irving’s Sunnyside

Admission: Please see their website

Open: Please check the website for seasonality

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48720-d3680157-Reviews-Sunnyside-Tarrytown_New_York.html?m=19905

The front of Sunnyside in the Fall of 2024

Washington Irving’s home, Sunnyside is open during the warmer months of the year, closing at the end of October. The house looks like a enchanted cottage with almost a fairy like appearance right on the banks of the Hudson River with the most spectacular views of the river valley and the Tappan Zee Bridge in the distance.

Sunnyside during the Fall of 2024

The house was designed by architect George Harvey and reflects the Dutch Colonial Revival, Scottish Gothic and Tudor Revival influences with wisteria growing up and around it and a jagged crow stepped gable.

The front of Sunnyside in the Fall of 2024

When walking through the home, you will see the study where Washington Irving conducted the business of the house and did his writing. To the other side of the house, you will see the living room and small dining room where the family used to entertain.

Washington Irving’s Study

The Dining Room set for a formal lunch

The Dining Room in the Fall of 2024

The formal meal at the afternoon

The hallway between the Dining Room and the Living Room

The Living Room where the family gathered and entertained visitors

The Living Room of Sunnyside

The upstairs contains small bedrooms where Washington Irving, his brother, Ebeneezer and his five nieces lived on and off when they were living at the house. Washington’s brother’s business had failed and the family came to live with him. Two of the nieces never married and ran the home for their uncle.

The Guest bedroom at Sunnyside

The Guest Bedroom

The Children’s Bedroom that catered to the little guests

The house is nicely furnished in the most modern decor of its time but is not an elaborate house. It is a home and not a weekend mansion and this ten acre estate was a once a working farm. In the back of the house, there is an ice house and a barn show where the people who worked on the estate kept the house running.

Ebenezer’s daughter’s room

Ebenezer’s Room in Sunnyside; Ebenezer was Washington Irving’s Older Brother

Washington Irving’s bedroom

Washington Irving’s bedroom

The view of the river is one of the most spectacular in the Hudson River Valley as its at the widest part of the Hudson River. You can see the cliffs of New Jersey on the other side with views of Nyack and the Tappan Zee Bridge in the background.

The grounds of Sunnyside

The grounds of Sunnyside

During the Fall season there are all sorts of activities going on at the estate and the tours are a very interesting look at life at that time. The Kitchen staff ran the home for social calls and main family meals as well as all the things it took to run the household.

The Sunnyside Kitchen

The kitchen and pantry area

The stove in the kitchen

The delicious items that were prepared in the Country kitchen

The sink area of the kitchen

The Cooks Kitchen

The Pantry

The Linen Room

The Sewing Room for the family

The History of Sunnyside:

The estate was once the home of Wolfert Acker called Wolfert’s Roost and was part of the Manor of Philipsburg and this home was once a simple two room stone tenant farmhouse built around 1690.

The patio view from the back of the house

The property came into the hands of the Van Tassel family, who were married into the Eckert family and owned it until 1802. That year, 150 acres were deeded to the family of Benson Ferris, one time clerk of the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow, whose wife, Maria Acker, was a descendant of Wolfert Acker’s.

The grounds of Sunnyside

In 1832, Washington Irving visited his nephew, Oscar Irving, who lived near the old stone farmhouse and was looking for a home at the time. He purchased the property on June 7, 1835 and would add to the property.

The view of the house of the Hudson River

Irving wrote a story, “Wolfert’s Roost”, about Acker and the site. In a letter to his brother Peter, he described it as “a beautiful spot, capable of being made a little paradise…I have had an architect up there and shall build upon the old mansion this summer. My idea is to make a little nookery somewhat in the Dutch style, quaint but unpretending. It will be of stone.” He asked his neighbor to help him remodel the house and landscape the grounds in Romantic style adding a brook and waterfall.

The grounds of Sunnyside

The house became a major spot of people visiting the area to meet the author. In 1842, he was appointed to be the Ambassador of Spain and left the estate in the care of his brother and four daughters. He returned in 1846 and added to the home the ‘Spanish Tower” in 1847. This added four more bedrooms to the home.

The Smokehouse

The Ice House at Sunnyside

The Ice House

The Fruit Cellar

Irving died in the house in 1859 of a heart attack at age 76.

The house was purchased from Louis Irving by John D. Rockefeller Jr. and was restored for historic preservation. It was opened to the public in 1947.

The grounds has a very nice gift shop

In 2025, I visited Sunnyside during the holidays to see what Christmas would have been like in the pre-Civil War era. These were not the elaborate times of the Victorian era but still the life of an Upper Middle Class families who celebrated the spirit of the holiday.

I visited the estate for a special Victorian event with refreshments, creating crafts and a special open tour of the home decorated for the Christmas holidays.

The property decorated during the holidays

The holiday events at the estate

The meeting room was decorated for the holidays for refreshments and good conversation

The refreshments at the Open House included cookies, candies, Hot Cider Wassil and Hot Chocolate and Tea

Sunnyside at Christmas time

The Sunnyside front door at the holidays

The beautiful view of the estate overlooking the Hudson River

When you enter the house, the first room to the left is the office of Washington Irving. There was a bed in the room for last night work and the room decorated for the holidays.

Washington Irving’s office during the holidays

The fireplace in the author’s office

Nothing says entertaining than the dining room with a holiday lunch set with family china and all the delicacies of the time.

The Dining Room set for a holiday lunch

The Dining Room table set for Christmas lunch

The Christmas desserts showcasing the Christmas pudding

The pantry set for Afternoon Tea

The Living Room decorated for the holidays with a Table tree, fashionable for the times.

The Table tree in the Living Room

The hallway and stairs decorated for the holidays

The French inspired bedroom

The Children’s room of a visiting niece

Washington Irving’s bedroom

The niece’s bedroom of those that lived with him

My last part of the tour led to the behind the scenes of how the household runs with the kitchen, washrooms and sewing room.

The Christmas dinner being prepared for the family

The delicious foods prepared for the family meals including cookies, pies and a favorite treat, doughnuts

The kitchen stove where all the family meals were cooked

The house kitchen is decorated for the holidays

The staff holiday dinner was less elaborate but still very festive

The patio off the kitchen overlooking the Hudson River

After the tour was over, I joined other guests making crafts such as Christmas crackers, creating ornaments and making pumices, the oranges studded with clovers.

The festive barn where crafts were created

Me making my pumice for the holidays

Visiting Sunnyside during the holidays is a special trip to the past to join the Irving family in their celebration. Not as elaborate as some of the Victorian mansions of the Hudson River Valley but a look at a family whose celebration was similar to our own. Their traditions are the basis of our own of food, family and fun.

Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum of Kingston 265 Fair Street Kingston, NY 12402

Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum of Kingston

265 Fair Street

Kingston, NY 12402

(831) 331-0866

https://kingstonvolunteerfiremensmuseum.weebly.com/

Open: The hours vary by the season so please look to the website for the openings. School groups please call for an appointment.

Fee: Free but donations accepted

My review on TripAdvisor:

The Kingston Volunteer Museum during the ‘Kingston Snowflake Festival’

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48003-d3367598-Reviews-Volunteer_Fireman_s_Hall_Museum_of_Kingston-Kingston_New_York.html?m=19905

The antique fire truck outside the firehouse during the Kingston “Snowflake Festival”

I was recently visiting Kingston, NY for an event and while walking around the downtown the doors of the Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum of Kingston was open for visitors. Even if you are not a fire fighter it is such an interesting museum on the history of fire fighting and the role the Kingston Fire Department had in the formation of the City of Kingston.

The early horse drawn fire equipment

The museum welcoming people to the Kingston “Snowflake Festival” in 2022

On the main floor is four pieces of equipment from various stages of the department. The engines are from the turn of the last century featuring horse drawn ladders and steam engines and then the latest equipment from the early teens and twenties from the automotive stage. Each piece of equipment has been carefully maintained and is in pristine shape.

The museum decorated for Christmas for the recent “Kingston Snowflake Festival”

It is interesting to see how different each rig is at that stage of its history but how much has not really changed with the use of the equipment when fighting a fire.

The bay area of the old firehouse with the antique equipment

One of the more interesting pieces in the collection is the beautifully detailed Parade piece from the late 1800’s (circa around 1890’s) which has gorgeous details and intricate craftsmanship work to it. This interesting piece of equipment was the pride of the department on parade day and is one of the few of its type in the country.

The Fire Department Parade Piece

Along the walls is all sorts of pictures of old fires, men who were once members of the department, ribbons and awards, old systems for calling for firemen from the horns that used to sound the alarms to the more modern telegraph equipment to the current paging systems.

The roster upstairs

The fire department equipment pieces

Upstairs you can visit the furnished headquarters of a firehouse circa 1890’s to 1920 with vintage furniture, decorations and composites of firemen long ago. There is even a mannequin of a fire fighter sliding down a pole that leads to the first floor. Here and there are more decorative equipment pieces, furnishings and awards.

The upstairs of the Kingston Volunteer Museum

The museum has a little something for everyone and if you are interesting in knowing more of the history of the fire service and want to hear the stories by members current and retired from the Kingston Fire Department, then the Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum is the place to visit.

Old decorations from fire equipment at the Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum

History of the Museum and Fire Fighting in Kingston, NY:

Ulster County has a remarkable over 350 year history of noble fire fighting. See it up-close and personal at the Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum of Kingston.

The award case upstairs at the firehouse

When Kingston City Hall burned on June 4th, 1927, the third alarm was sounded from the building’s own bell tower before it crashed to the ground. Fire calls in Kingston today are answered through the 911 system with a three minute response time. Ever watched a TV show about firemen and their firehouse? The ‘squawk’ to a call is unmistakable.

The upstairs in the firehouse

Seven volunteer fire companies and the Exempt Association of Kingston recognized the importance of preserving and protecting firematic artifacts as well as establishing a meeting hall for volunteer fire organizations in Kingston and Ulster County. They were charged with finding a permanent home and signed a lease with the City of Kingston for Fair Street’s historic circa 1850 Wiltwyck Fire Station and the rest is history.

The Ladies Auxiliary and rosters

Walk through the large wooden doors to the home away from home of the 19th century firefighters.

The old Kingston, NY firehouse that now houses the museum

Disclaimer: this information was taken directly from the Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum of Kingston pamphlet and I give them full credit for it. Please check out their website for more information.

The living area upstairs in the firehouse decorated for Christmas

The Senate House 296 Fair Street Kingston, NY 12401

The Senate House

296 Fair Street

Kingston, NY 12401

(845) 338-2786

http://www.palisadeparksconservancy.org

http://senatehousekingston.org/

Open: Sunday 1:00pm-5:00pm/Wednesday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm (April 15-October 31). Open by Appointment only (November 1-April 14)

Fee: Adults $4.00/Seniors (62+) $3.00/Children under 12 and under Free

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48003-d3225491-Reviews-Senate_House_State_Historic_Site-Kingston_Catskill_Region_New_York.html

The recently reopened Senate House in 2023

I recently spent my afternoon at the Senate House and Museum in Kingston, NY taking a tour of the museum and the House next door. The Senate House itself had just finished its renovation and the gardens were in full bloom in 2023. It was a quiet afternoon, and I was the only patron for most of the afternoon. The grounds were full of beautiful foliage and flowers, so it was nice to walk around the grounds.

The Senate House story board

The Senate House had just reopened in 2023 after almost a four year renovation and because of the closure during COVID. The grounds are very pretty and well-landscaped and the outside has had a lot done to the gardens. The house was built for merchant Abraham Van Gaasbeek and his family. It stayed in the family for generations.

The Senate House at 296 Fair Street

We were able to tour the inside of the house and see the renovations that the State of New York made on this important structure. The home has been renovated by the state but the tour guide told us not with the historical integrity it should have had. It was not to the total interpretation of the life in the house. Still, it told the story about the people that lived there.

The Senate House Kitchen

Here you see the beehive oven, the working fireplace and many household items including waffle makers, cookie molds and candle making tools. The daily household tasks would be time consuming.

The Dining Space

The bedroom

In the original part of the house, the dining space and bedroom would be in a one room section of the home and as the family got larger, the house was added on to on both sides.

The Parlor

The Parlor was the fanciest room in the house with the best furnishings, decorations and a place of social interactions with guests. This rooms was for adult use at that time.

The Meeting Room for the leaders in change.

This was the room where plans by the patriots were made that changed the course of New York and the rest of the country. Now that the Senate House home is open again, you get a feel for what these people must have went through in developing the country during the Revolutionary War years.

When I visited the Senate House at the holidays for the “Snowflake Festival”, it was still closed for renovation but the grounds were open for touring, music and for a visit with Santa. It was a magical night on the grounds of the historical site and people had a nice time that evening. The grounds and the other buildings were decked out for the holidays.

The Senate House decked out for the Christmas holidays at the “Kingston Snowflake Festival” in 2022

The Senate House property decorated for the Kingston Snowflake Festival in 2022

Santa’s visit at the Senate House property in 2022

The history of the Kingston Stockade section of the city.

The main part of the park is the Senate House Museum, which is broken into three sections. The right side of the museum is the history of the City of Kingston and the matching artifacts. There is a description of manufacturing, merchant class and its military prominence. Here I learned about the growth of Kingston and its founding, its strategic spot on the Hudson River in the early colony, its role as diplomats to the Native Americans, which was not so pleasant and its growth after the war.

The first floor exhibitions on early life in Kingston

The history of the City of Kingston is described with the Native American settlements and the trade with the Dutch, the unsettling relationships that the two groups had with each other, the War years, the growth of industry and trade in early New York and manufacturing in the area.

The Native American exhibition

Early manufacturing and life in Kingston

The Artist’s sign

The Vanderlyn Exhibition of artist John Vanderlyn’s art

Artist John Vanderlyn’s works are featured on this part of the museum.

The left side of the museum is dedicated to the locally born artist, John Vanderlyn. His paintings line the walls of the museum of the artist at different stages of his career. His work was ahead of its time for the area, and it was noted in the collection that he forced himself to commission portraits to survive. His works advanced for the time because of his studying abroad now line the walls of the best museums in the country.

The exhibition of John Vanderlyn’s portraits

Artist John Vanderlyn’s bio in the museum

Members of the extended Vanderlyn family portraits

The second floor holds the furniture that is not historically correct with the Senate House and comes from different time periods. There is furniture, beds and chairs, spinning wheels, chamber pots and all sorts of accessories for the home and their uses in everyday life. Vintage furnishings with explanations on their use are a big part of the exhibit.

Artifacts from the past are displayed here

The everyday items used to spin material and create clothing

The Loughran House next door houses more of the furniture of the house and has a new exhibition “Back to the Future: The Evolution of Senate House”. This houses artifacts from the house.

The Senate House property during the “Kingston Snowflake Festival” in 2022

The Senate House property during Christmas 2024

The Senate House property during Christmas 2024

History of the Senate House:

(From Wiki/Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation pamphlet)

Amidst the turmoil of a British military invasion in the fall of 1777, the elected representations of rebellious New Yorkers met in Kingston to form a new state government. While convened in Kingston in September and October, New York’s first Senate met in the simple stone house of merchant Abraham Van Gaasbeek.

Here they adopted a system comprising of a senate, assembly, governor and judiciary that still exists today. Every one of the assembled delegates risked his life and property by being so openly disloyal to the Crown. Indeed, all were forced to flee for their lives when the British attacked and burned Kingston on October 16th.

While convened in Kingston in September and October, New York’s first Senate met in the simple stone house of Abraham Van Gaasbeek, a prosperous merchant trader who had suffered financial losses as a result of the war and personal losses in the recent deaths of his wife, Sara, his daughter and infant granddaughter. It was Sara’s grandfather, Wessel Ten Broeck, who built the original section of the house in 1676.

At first called Wiltwyck, Kingston was the third “city” established in the Dutch Colony of New Netherland. Planned and developed by the Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant in 1656, the town was renamed Kingston after the colony was seized by the English in 1664.

Wessel Ten Broeck’s one room Dutch style house was enlarged by succeeding owners in the 18th century. Each change reflected the increasing fortunes of the Ten Broeck/Van Gaasbeek family and demonstrated a gradual acceptance of English styles and customs over the persistent influence of the early Dutch. Kingston at the time of the American Revolution was still a noticeably “Dutch” town and most of its citizens supported the American cause. British Major General John Vaughan justified his destruction of the city because it was a “nursery for almost every villain in the country.”

In 1887, to recognize Senate House’s role in the formation of New York State, New York State acquired the property, which quickly became a vital community museum. A two-story Museum Building was constructed in 1927 to house and display the site’s burgeoning collection. Among its treasures are: major works by John Vanderlyn and other members of the Vanderlyn family of Kingston. The museum also includes the site’s popular new exhibit: “Kingston Stockage: New Netherlands’ Third City,” discussing Kingston’s early history.

(New York State Park History)

The Kingston Stockade: The City’s formation from the beginning

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